1 Samuel 28:6

King James Version

And when Saul enquired of the Lord , the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.

Hebrew Names Version
When Sha'ul inquired of the LORD, the LORD didn't answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Lexham English Bible
And Saul inquired of Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him, not by dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.

English Standard Version
And when Saul inquired of the Lord , the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

New Century Version
He prayed to the Lord , but the Lord did not answer him through dreams, Urim, or prophets.

New English Translation
So Saul inquired of the Lord , but the Lord did not answer him—not by dreams nor by Urim nor by the prophets.

Amplified Bible
So Saul inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim [used like lots by the priest to determine the will of God] or by prophets.

New American Standard Bible
So Saul inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him, either in dreams, or by the Urim, or by the prophets.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore Saul asked counsel of the Lord, and the Lorde answered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Vrim, nor yet by Prophets.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Saul asked of Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.

Contemporary English Version
So he asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord would not answer, either in a dream or by a priest or a prophet.

Complete Jewish Bible
But when he consulted Adonai , Adonai didn't answer him — not by dreams, not by urim and not by prophets.

Darby Translation
And Saul inquired of Jehovah; but Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

Easy-to-Read Version
He prayed to the Lord , but the Lord did not answer him. God did not talk to Saul in dreams. God did not use the Urim to give him an answer, and God did not use prophets to speak to Saul.

George Lamsa Translation
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, he did not answer him, either by dreams or by fire or by prophets.

Good News Translation
and so he asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord did not answer him at all, either by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets.

Literal Translation
And Saul asked of Jehovah, but Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and he axed councell at the LORDE. But ye LORDE gaue him no answere, nether by dreames, ner by the lighte, ner by prophetes.

American Standard Version
And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Bible in Basic English
And when Saul went for directions to the Lord, the Lord gave him no answer, by a dream or by the Urim or by the prophets.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Saul asked councell of the Lorde, the Lorde aunswered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Urim, nor yet by prophetes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

King James Version (1611)
And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Urim, nor by Prophets.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Saul enquired of the Lord; and the Lord answered him not by dreams, nor by manifestations, nor by prophets.

English Revised Version
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Berean Standard Bible
He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he counselide the Lord; and the Lord answeride not to hym, nether bi preestis, nether bi dremes, nether bi profetis.

Young's Literal Translation
and Saul asketh at Jehovah, and Jehovah hath not answered him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

Update Bible Version
And when Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh did not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

World English Bible
When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn't answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

New King James Version
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

New Living Translation
He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.

New Life Bible
Saul asked the Lord what he should do. But the Lord did not answer him, by dreams or by Urim or by those who speak for God.

New Revised Standard
When Saul inquired of the Lord , the Lord did not answer him, not by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Saul enquired of Yahweh, but Yahweh answered him not, - neither by Dreams, nor by the Lights, nor by prophets.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he consulted the Lord, and he answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by priests, nor by prophets.

Revised Standard Version
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

THE MESSAGE
Saul prayed to God , but God didn't answer—neither by dream nor by sign nor by prophet.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.

Contextual Overview

¹ And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men. ² And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever. ³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. ⁴ And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. ⁵ And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. ⁶ And when Saul enquired of the Lord , the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

inquired: 1 Samuel 14:37, 1 Chronicles 10:14, Proverbs 1:27, Proverbs 1:28, Lamentations 2:9, Ezekiel 20:1-3, John 9:31, James 4:3

by dreams: Genesis 28:12-15, Genesis 46:2-4, Numbers 12:6, Job 33:14-16, Jeremiah 23:28, Matthew 1:20

by Urim: Exodus 28:20, Numbers 27:21, Deuteronomy 33:8

by prophets: Psalms 74:9, Lamentations 2:9, Ezekiel 20:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 25:22 - inquire Exodus 28:30 - General 1 Samuel 23:4 - yet again 1 Samuel 28:15 - answereth 1 Samuel 30:8 - he answered him 2 Samuel 5:19 - And the Lord 2 Samuel 22:42 - unto the Lord 2 Kings 4:31 - neither voice 2 Kings 6:33 - this evil is of the Lord Ezra 2:63 - Urim Song of Solomon 5:6 - I sought Jeremiah 21:2 - Inquire Ezekiel 14:3 - should Ezekiel 20:31 - and shall Amos 8:11 - but Micah 3:7 - no John 10:35 - unto John 11:51 - being

Cross-References

Genesis 27:33
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

Genesis 28:1
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when Saul inquired of the Lord,.... And this being not done truly and heartily, nor continued in, it was as if he had not inquired, and especially after he had inquired of one that had a familiar spirit, as Kimchi observes; for so it is said, 1 Chronicles 10:14;

the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams; which he dreamed himself, from whence he could not conclude anything relating to the will of God; so the Targum,

"the Lord did not receive his prayer even by dreams;''

or by dreamers, diviners, who pretended to give answers by dreams:

nor by Urim; there being no priest to consult in this way, Abiathar having fled with the ephod, in which were the Urim and Thummim, to David, 1 Samuel 23:9; though some think that he sent to Abiathar, who was with David, to inquire for him; and others that he made another ephod with Urim, and appointed another priest to consult by them; neither of which are probable:

nor by prophets; of which there was a school not far from him, even at Naioth in Ramah, of which Samuel in his lifetime was president; but neither by the one nor the other could Saul get an answer from God, who for his sins had departed from him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When Saul inquired of the Lord ... - It is said 1 Chronicles 10:14 that one reason why the Lord killed Saul, and gave his kingdom to David, was because he inquired not of the Lord. The explanation of this apparent discrepancy is to be found in the fact that inquiring of the familiar spirit was positively antagonistic to inquiring of the Lord. That Saul received no answer - when he “inquired of the Lord” by dreams, which was an immediate revelation to himself; by Urim, which was an answer through the high priest clothed in the ephod; or by prophets, which was an answer conveyed through some seer speaking by the Word of the Lord 1 Samuel 22:5 - was a reason for self-abasement and self-examination, to find out and, if possible, remove the cause, but was no justification whatever of his sin in asking counsel of familiar spirits.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 28:6. The Lord answered him not — He used the three methods by which supernatural intelligence was ordinarily given:-

1. Dreams. - The person prayed for instruction; and begged that God would answer by a significant dream.

2. Urim. - This was a kind of oracular answer given to the high priest when clothed with the ephod, on which were the Urim and Thummim. How these communicated the answer, is not well known.

3. Prophets. - Who were requested by the party concerned to consult the Lord on the subject in question, and to report his answer. The prophets at that time could only be those in the schools of the prophets, which Samuel had established at Naioth and Gibeah. These were the only successors of Samuel that we know of.